New identification and witnessing requirements for electoral enrolment

Last week the Federal Government tabled new electoral enrolment procedures. The changes to the Commonwealth Electoral Act regarding enrolment witnessing went through Parliament in early 1999, but the Federal Government had not yet proclaimed the laws or tabled the related Regulations. The new witnessing regime will apply to all new enrolments and transfers of enrolment. A person applying for new enrolment or transfer of enrolment (ie. due to changes in address details) will have to find a witness from a number of prescribed employment categories. In addition, new enrolees will have to show the witness a prescribed original form of ID. It is rumoured that these new procedures will be effective from 2 October 2001, however, no announcement has been made at this stage. After the new enrolment procedures become effective, the AEC will only process the new, more complex forms. AEC statistics show that after a Federal election is called there are 80,000 new enrollments (mostly 18 and 19 year olds) and 350,000 transfers of enrolment. It is VERY IMPORTANT that completed enrolment forms are submitted to the AEC asap.